confided below-stairs that it was a crying shame that a lady as amiable as Miss Henrietta should have no
beaux.
Henrietta rose to meet Lord Reckford with a social smile fixed on her round face. He appeared even taller than before and very remote and elegant. He made a very correct bow.
“Pup-p-lease sit down,” stammered Henrietta.
“I beg your pardon?” remarked the Beau politely.
“
I said,
‘
Sit down
,’” shouted Henrietta and then blushed miserably.
He still stood.
“Is anything the matter?” faltered Henrietta.
“You are supposed to sit down first you know,” he said kindly, drawing forward a chair. Henrietta perched primly on the very edge and stared at her smart kid half boots as if they were her only consolation in a wicked world.
“My sister tells me she is to procure vouchers for Almack’s for you,” remarked Lord Reckford in his pleasant husky voice.
“Oh,
so
kind,” bubbled Miss Mattie. “We are indeed saved from social ruin.”
“Please, Mattie,” begged Henrietta. “Do not be so dramatic.”
“Oh, I think Miss Scattersworth has the right of it,” said the Beau languidly but with a gleam of mischief in his eyes. “You must give credit where credit is due, Miss Sandford. Had I not ridden to the rescue, you would have been socially spurned.”
“Sneered at by all and ground to social dust,” breathed Miss Mattie, her curls bobbing energetically.
“Every elegant back in London turned against you,” agreed Lord Reckford.
“We may have had to resort to the demi-monde,” whispered Miss Mattie.
“And we would wear a lot of paint and talk in terribly loud voices to show that we did not mind in the least,” said Henrietta with a laugh, beginning to enjoy the joke.
Lord Reckford began to believe that the rumor that Henrietta wished to marry him was part of her companion’s imaginings and prepared to enjoy himself.
“You are looking very
tonnish
since I saw you last, Miss Sandford,” he commented, admiring her dress appreciatively.
“I am glad I complement your lordship’s elegance,” said Henrietta with the mischievous twinkle in her eye that he remembered.
“And I notice your wrists are so
clean
. Alas! My heart is broken. You were only funning when you said you would never wash it again.”
“Ah!” teased Henrietta with a boldness that amazed herself, “I had faith, you see, that I might perhaps soon have another.”
He rose to his feet to bend over her hand, looking mockingly into her eyes. “Then such faith shall be rewarded,” he teased.
Miss Mattie suddenly wagged a roguish finger at the pair of them. “Young love,” she sighed. “Will it be a social wedding do you think? Or will you ride madly to Gretna Green one dark moonless night?”
Both stared at her in consternation.
“Lady Belding and Miss Belding,” announced Hobbard.
Alice drifted up to Henrietta and kissed her sorrowfully on the cheek. “My poor dear friend,” she sighed. “Oh! Lord Reckford!” All fluttering eyelashes and swirling skirts, she dropped Lord Reckford her best curtsy.
“I am surprised to see you here, Reckford,” snapped Lady Belding. Her high patrician nose turned in Henrietta’s direction. “As for you, miss, you are to cease this nonsense and return to Nethercote immediately. Your brother agrees with me that you have proved yourself unable to handle your fortune.”
“I am not a child, Lady Belding,” retorted Henrietta. “You may tell my brother from me that I shall
visit
him when the Season is over.”
“Season! What Season?” snorted Lady Belding. “There will be no Season for you, my presumptuous miss. No lady of the ton would be seen in your company.”
The Beau got lazily to his feet. “I really must protest, Lady Belding, but it is the first time that anyone has suggested that my sister does not belong to the first circles. Ann has already called on Miss Sandford and will be seeing a good deal of her in the coming weeks.”
Lady Belding
beaux.
Henrietta rose to meet Lord Reckford with a social smile fixed on her round face. He appeared even taller than before and very remote and elegant. He made a very correct bow.
“Pup-p-lease sit down,” stammered Henrietta.
“I beg your pardon?” remarked the Beau politely.
“
I said,
‘
Sit down
,’” shouted Henrietta and then blushed miserably.
He still stood.
“Is anything the matter?” faltered Henrietta.
“You are supposed to sit down first you know,” he said kindly, drawing forward a chair. Henrietta perched primly on the very edge and stared at her smart kid half boots as if they were her only consolation in a wicked world.
“My sister tells me she is to procure vouchers for Almack’s for you,” remarked Lord Reckford in his pleasant husky voice.
“Oh,
so
kind,” bubbled Miss Mattie. “We are indeed saved from social ruin.”
“Please, Mattie,” begged Henrietta. “Do not be so dramatic.”
“Oh, I think Miss Scattersworth has the right of it,” said the Beau languidly but with a gleam of mischief in his eyes. “You must give credit where credit is due, Miss Sandford. Had I not ridden to the rescue, you would have been socially spurned.”
“Sneered at by all and ground to social dust,” breathed Miss Mattie, her curls bobbing energetically.
“Every elegant back in London turned against you,” agreed Lord Reckford.
“We may have had to resort to the demi-monde,” whispered Miss Mattie.
“And we would wear a lot of paint and talk in terribly loud voices to show that we did not mind in the least,” said Henrietta with a laugh, beginning to enjoy the joke.
Lord Reckford began to believe that the rumor that Henrietta wished to marry him was part of her companion’s imaginings and prepared to enjoy himself.
“You are looking very
tonnish
since I saw you last, Miss Sandford,” he commented, admiring her dress appreciatively.
“I am glad I complement your lordship’s elegance,” said Henrietta with the mischievous twinkle in her eye that he remembered.
“And I notice your wrists are so
clean
. Alas! My heart is broken. You were only funning when you said you would never wash it again.”
“Ah!” teased Henrietta with a boldness that amazed herself, “I had faith, you see, that I might perhaps soon have another.”
He rose to his feet to bend over her hand, looking mockingly into her eyes. “Then such faith shall be rewarded,” he teased.
Miss Mattie suddenly wagged a roguish finger at the pair of them. “Young love,” she sighed. “Will it be a social wedding do you think? Or will you ride madly to Gretna Green one dark moonless night?”
Both stared at her in consternation.
“Lady Belding and Miss Belding,” announced Hobbard.
Alice drifted up to Henrietta and kissed her sorrowfully on the cheek. “My poor dear friend,” she sighed. “Oh! Lord Reckford!” All fluttering eyelashes and swirling skirts, she dropped Lord Reckford her best curtsy.
“I am surprised to see you here, Reckford,” snapped Lady Belding. Her high patrician nose turned in Henrietta’s direction. “As for you, miss, you are to cease this nonsense and return to Nethercote immediately. Your brother agrees with me that you have proved yourself unable to handle your fortune.”
“I am not a child, Lady Belding,” retorted Henrietta. “You may tell my brother from me that I shall
visit
him when the Season is over.”
“Season! What Season?” snorted Lady Belding. “There will be no Season for you, my presumptuous miss. No lady of the ton would be seen in your company.”
The Beau got lazily to his feet. “I really must protest, Lady Belding, but it is the first time that anyone has suggested that my sister does not belong to the first circles. Ann has already called on Miss Sandford and will be seeing a good deal of her in the coming weeks.”
Lady Belding
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